botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
located on U. S. Route 231 near
Wetumpka
Wetumpka () is a city in and the county seat of Elmore County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,220. In the early 21st century Elmore County became one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The city is ...
, north of Montgomery. As of May 23, 2020, the garden is permanently closed to the public. Jasmine Hill was added to the
Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage The Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, commonly referred to as the Alabama Register, is an official listing of buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts deemed worthy of preservation in the U.S. state of Alabama. These properties ...
on July 21, 1977.
The gardens were established in the early 1930s by Benjamin and Mary Fitzpatrick. In 1971, Jim and Elmore Inscoe became the primary conservators. In 1996, the Olympic Torch, which originated in the Temple of Hera ruins, toured through Jasmine Hill Gardens on its way to the
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
in Atlanta. Today, they feature a collection of nearly 40 pieces of Greek statuary, both original and copies. The site includes a reproduction of the ruins of the Temple of Hera at Olympia, Greece, and a separate restored temple façade at the museum entrance, as it would have appeared in ancient times. Other attractions include fountains, stairways, and hedges.